mischievous

adjective

ˈmis-chə-vəs How to pronounce mischievous (audio)
Definition of mischievousnext
1
as in wicked
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
causing or capable of causing harm mischievous gossip that ruined a good teacher's reputation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mischievous The actress, 64, made her mark on the iconic ‘70s show as Nellie Oleson, Laura Ingalls’ mischievous classmate. — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026 Shooky is a chocolate chip cookie who has a mischievous look about him. — Rin Velasco, The Providence Journal, 10 July 2026 His long white oval scleras and perfect-circle black pupils, sometimes open and sometimes closed, are always inexplicably expressive—managing to seem happy, sad, scared, sleepy, shifty, angry, eager, alarmed, mischievous, or murderous. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026 The bride and groom both wore custom Christian Dior looks designed by Jonathan Anderson, who’s known for elaborate, mischievous designs. — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischievous
  1. wicked
  2. naughty
  3. dangerous
  4. playful
  5. bad
  6. harmful
  7. impish
  8. adverse
Adjective
  • Ben Affleck and a Jeopardy alum are putting their wicked smarts to good use.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026
  • Alli Logout of the punk band Special Interest and rising pop producer Margo XS join forces on a club record whose messy hedonism is matched only by its wicked sense of humor.
    — Cameron Cook, Pitchfork, 29 July 2026
Definition of wicked
Adjective
  • When Martín is kidnapped by a monster, Cleo ventures into the jungle to rescue him, aided by an elderly witch and a naughty anteater.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 9 July 2026
  • People would hang from windows, encouraging you to do naughty things, and my thumb has never been sorer from back-and-forth gestures.
    — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of naughty
Adjective
  • When atmospheric weather conditions in May drove dangerous pollution levels in Texas, environmental officials urged residents to limit driving and in particular to avoid drive-through lines.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • An unchecked ego further erodes psychological safety, as dismissing feedback signals that team contributions are unwelcome, creating dangerous blind spots.
    — Dr. Samantha Madhosingh, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • The stone in the shower had an almost iridescent quality to it, reminiscent of a seashell, a playful nod to Maui’s beaches.
    — Ronee Uyeshiro, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2026
  • Pieces that are personal, playful, and don’t quite match are the ones that make a room or an outfit unmistakably one’s own.
    — ALEX EAGLE, Vogue, 26 July 2026
Definition of playful
Adjective
  • The period of military rule has fared worse than previous civilian governments, analysts say, with armed groups increasing their footprint across the country and the Sahel.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • At one point, King and backup center Nick Samac had a bad exchange on a shotgun snap.
    — Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • The Australian watchdog's claim, filed to the federal court Wednesday, said the unlimited broadcast size of Telegram channels meant the app must take responsibility for culling harmful material.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • During the 2015-16 season, for instance, Dungeness crabs off the coast of California were infected by a harmful algal bloom of Pseudo-nitzschia, which causes domoic acid poisoning in crabs, fish, birds and marine mammals.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of harmful
Adjective
  • Kutsuna has an impish twinkle; Yamada mutely swans about in a daze like an opium fiend.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
  • Two years ago, the Man City phenom appeared in a 90-second spot for the game that saw him get recruited to storm a castle teeming with goblins, dragons and impish skeletons.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of impish
Adjective
  • Prices reached record highs over the past two years, triggered by adverse weather conditions and poor cocoa harvests that pushed chocolate costs higher and dampened consumer sentiment.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 27 July 2026
  • Potential adverse effects identified by the FDA include heart toxicity, infections, pancreatitis, increased or decreased insulin sensitivity, serious immunoresponses, melanoma and death.
    — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 24 July 2026
Definition of adverse

Browse Nearby Words

mischiefs
mischievous
mischievousness
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Cite this Entry

“Mischievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischievous. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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